A U.S. survey of astronomers puts the search for
extraterrestrial life at the top of their to-do list
for the next 10 years.
In a report by the National Academy of
Sciences, Engineering and Medicine,
astronomers stressed the need to continue the
hunt for potentially habitable planets circling
other stars, building on the “extraordinary
progress” already made. The ultimate goal, they
noted, is to capture pictures of any Earth-like
worlds that might be out there.
“Life on Earth may be the result of a common
process, or it may require such an unusual set
of circumstances that we are the only living
beings within our part of the galaxy, or even
in the universe. Either answer is profound,” the
report stated.